Time and Again
by ruchi257
Summary: A battle, an accident, a timeturner -Hermione's thrown back in time, when Voldemort first rose to power, and Marauders still roamed Hogwarts.Hermione tries to find her way back, but she looses what she should have guarded with her life- her heart.AU.SB/HG


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Chapter 1

The scene through the window made a picture perfect postcard. A scented, balmy breeze blew in through the window, and the feeling of it blowing through Hermione Grangers hair made her feel calm, happy and sleepy.

But then she remembered her life.

And instantly a headache hit her head and pierced her calm state of mind. Just like her head, her life had turned in to an aching mess. To avoid thinking about it more than anything else, she reflected on weather this could possibly be the worst thing to have happened to her in her 17 years. No, she thought musingly, 3rd year was stiff competition.

After all being best friends with the famous Harry Potter with his knack for getting in to trouble had a way of making life eventful. She smiled a little when she thought that while being Harry's friend was no mean feat, her "friendship" with Ron had been less than easy to maintain. Though she would never have admitted it to anyone. Least of all Ron. She had always known, Ron had been more than a friend to her, and it had taken him a passionate (to say the least) relationship with Lavender to realize it…

Again, a sharp stab smote her head as she thought of her two best friends and how she may well never see them again, in spite of what Dumbledore said….

"Fine" she said aloud. I'll think about it…. "I have to think it out." In the corner, a red head's sleep was disturbed by this resignated pronouncement. Hermione quietly got up and padded out of the dormitory, giving a sigh as she passed the beautiful sight out of the window of Hogwarts grounds, which she had wrongly hoped might induce her to sleep…

Five minutes later she had sat herself down next to the empty fireplace .The room had been cleaned (undoubtedly, and most annoyingly by house elfs) and Hermione looked around at the neat and tidy environment before attempting to similarly arrange her own thoughts.

Apparently, she had landed in the past. All right, no need to panic. A little accident with a time turner in the room of time in the Ministry. While in the middle of the most violent, large-scale wizards battle of all time, against Voldemort and his cronies. When, undoubtedly, her talents as a witch were required the most.

No problem. At least, she had landed in a time Dumbledore was there. She had amazingly landed in Hogwarts and had rushed to Dumbledore's office.

But for the second time since his murder (oh yes, it was a headache keeping track of tenses in the past), Hermione had doubted Dumbledore's decision. If then it was the whole trusting Snape thing, now it was the whole stay here as transfer student until we figure it out.

Why, she wondered to herself, is that such a doubtable decision?

Not that it's wonderful being stuck in another time while your friends are out there battling (or dying!). That part was horrible either ways. Plus the headaches involved in keeping identities secret were tough to bear. It had taken a while for Dumbledore to explain and carry out all the processes of formulating a new identity, mainly because she was averse to them. Her hair was now a pleasant shade of, well, blonde, and it was styled differently. Meaning less bushy. She looked less brainy this way, more pretty girl types. This, Dumbledore said, would help protect her identity as now everyone might recognize her as the pretty, blonde girl and not the bushy brown haired brainy one .So no one would vaguely remember her as being from his or her class in school.

But the decision to keep her here, in Hogwarts, was bewildering. She could just have hidden away somewhere until he figured it out. But Dumbledore said he had his reasons….and of course, after Snape, there was no way she could not trust Dumbledore on that one. Because, boy had they ever been wrong about Snape and his murder of Dumbledore. Everyone involved had died, but Hermione had learnt that always, always trust Dumbledore's ironclad reasons.

So, as dumb as staying at Hogwarts and changing her name and appearance and identity sounded, she'd agree to do it because she trusted Dumbledore, and the last time she had doubted him she had been wrong (or was it would be wrong? There was the headache). But once in the common room, one terrible truth had hit her.

She had seen a glimpse of messy, never sat down hair. Before it could register, she had a glimpse of another very handsome, haughty face that struck her as strikingly familiar. Then it hit her. How could she have been so stupid? Dumbledore had said-1971…

The shock of time travel had hit her so hard she never realized…

In shock and horror, she had run up to her dormitory: because yes, Sirius was dead. Or he will be. He was dead in my time, but he's not now...Her thoughts had gone into a jumble of tenses once again as she had pondered her situation, growing more and more depressed.

And now here she was wondering why in the name of heaven Dumbledore had put her in this situation. From tomorrow her regular, 6th yr classes would begin and she was of course, in James etc's classes. It was too risky for her liking. Though she had to admit , Dumbledore had given her a pretty good do over and she looked now only like a prettier, blonder cousin of Hermione Granger. The similarity would never strike uncanny, only uncommon, to someone who happened to know both her, Hermione Granger and this new girl, Jane Dowell.

Such as Remus Lupin. Or Sirius Black. With a clench in her stomach at the thought, Hermione pondered miserably, that weather or not it was risky to meet them was irrelevant. Because she didn't want to anyway. I mean who wants to see their best friends laughing, 16 year old parents and godfather, who all die in the future in pathetically moving ways? Not to mention the future professor and the traitor vermin Peter.

Overall, life was horrid. Her absolute panic attack at realizing that she had time traveled had taken most of the energy out of her, or she'd be freaking out right NOW.

In weary defeat, she sighed and thought: well, there isn't much for me to do but accept it. There's always a reason for these kinds of accidents, she thought...though I can't imagine WHAT use this little accident could have. I'll just have to avoid them as much as possible….

***

Next morning, apprehensive and sleepy eyed, Hermione went down for breakfast. Her eyes were constantly on the outlook for any Marauder or Lily, or Snape, so that she could avoid them. Luckily for her, Lily was still sleeping when she had woken up and she had carefully checked all corridors and the common room before entering for any sign of the Marauders. In the Great Hall, however, she was dismayed to see that she was the cause of great deal of muttering and pointing as Hogwarts had hardly ever had "transfer" students and her roommates had obviously spread the news by now. She had just flung herself down at the rear end of the Gryffindor table, hoping to look all standoffish so the rest would avoid her, when Mcgonagall came along and handed her her timetable. Bending down she whispered into her ears " Be careful, Miss Gran- Dowell" and winked. She, of course had been the only staff member let into the secret for several reasons, the least of them being she was very discreet. In another second she straightened up and said, "This is Miss Jane Dowell a transfer student from an Irish school. I trust that she will adjust quickly to Hogwarts and that -" she looked around carefully at the students she was addressing-"she will get a proper welcome from you all. Even you, Mr. Black. No pranks!"

Hermione -who had unconsciously been smiling at the sight of someone so familiar amongst the sea of unfamiliar faces, someone who knew her for who she was - had her smile wiped instantly off her face at the word Black. And sure enough, before she knew it, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew surrounded her.

With a sinking feeling, she realized she could not escape it.

Sirius unabashedly observed the new girl. She was pretty, he thought. She had lovely blonde hair and brown eyes. Those eyes, at present however, seemed to hold some strange emotion. Fear? No. Yes, actually it was that…but a sad kind of fear, as though for some distant future foreseen only by her…

Her answers to James questions revealed that she was quiet, and liked to read. She seemed very reserved, as though she didn't want to reveal too much of her personality.

"Later, Jane." James said and they all strolled away to their first class.

His stroll was cut short halfway and became something like a strut due to the appearance of a redheaded, green eyed and very good-looking girl.

"Hi, Evans" said James. Instantly a subtly impressive change had come over him. "Meet Jane-"

"I KNOW Potter! She's is in my dorm remember?" said Lily impatiently

"Actually I don't- Mcgonagall just introduced her…"

"I don't actually care, James!" she said with superb disdain and moved on to talk to Hermione.

"Hi Jane!" she said holding her hand out "This is Lily Evans head girl of Gryffindor-" "Also the prettiest girl in school." Put in James cheerfully, watching Lily with a longing smile.

It looked as though a pink shade was creeping up her neck, but Lily only said "Cut it out Potter. I know you've said that to every girl in school a million times. Unfortunately for you, I don't care."

James looked at her with mock indignation "You've got me confused with Sirius! You know my hearts been yours since I saw you. And did I deduct a trace of jealousy there..."

Lily tried to look nonchalant despite her red cheeks as she said, "Dream on Potter. And now, excuse me will you?" She turned to Hermione who had been watching this exchange with a mixture of wonder, amusement and a sharp, bitter sadness.

"You can come to me anytime you need help! Want to accompany me to our 1st class- er -Potions?" she said checking her timetable.

Unable to think of a good excuse on the spot and still a little sad thinking of Harry, Hermione smiled and said ok.

So, it was that Hermione Granger aka Jane Dowell was making her way to Potions class along with Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin and Lily Evans. Remus soon lapped Lily up over some sum in arithmancy (done mostly to keep her from snapping at James). James was watching them gloomily. Peter was watching James, albeit with an adoring glance.

This left, most uncomfortably, Sirius and Hermione alone.

"So, Jane…like your new school?" he asked her casually, his hands playing with his wand and his grey eyes glancing at her once in a while.

"Yes well its-er-its wonderful." Hermione was hardly able to talk to him much less look at him. She found it all extremely strange and almost tragic.

Almost automatically and seriously, she said, "You shouldn't do that you know."

"What?" he said, looking at her.

"Play with your wand. It could cause an accident."

He looked at her with some surprise. Then he smirked and twirled his wand in the air and caught it. Sparks flew out of the end.

Same old Sirius, she thought...reckless, rebellious, and hates following rules...except he looked different. That hardened look of being haunted was still to touch his face. Instead, it contained the carefree and arrogant happiness of youth. The arrogance suits him she thought...looking at him, she had to admit he was very good looking.

Then she realized she had been staring. She snapped out of her reverie and glanced around. They had reached class. Sirius was looking at her with amusement in his eyes. "No accidents yet?" he said with an almost flirty smile. Embarrassed at being caught staring by the object himself, she vowed on the spot she would speak to 1971 Sirius as little as possible. "But there is no other Sirius except the 1971 one..." whispered a weepy voice in her head .She pushed the sad thought out of her head: she had decided it was no good obsessing over things still to happen.

"No more tragic thoughts. And no more Sirius." She vowed to herself glancing at where he was sitting. By some odd coincidence he was looking at her too and she smiled at him-she couldn't help it. He grinned back, a positively lustful smirk. She snapped the smile off her face and thought "Yeah great beginning, Hermione. Staring, almost flirting, smiling – anyone would think you're interested in him." The thought made her cringe and she turned determinedly to the professor who had just entered, vowing a last vow not to be a silly blonde for one second longer.

The class passed quickly. Everything was much the same- she almost kept turning around to call Ron or Harry. The Professor was Slughorn, jovial as ever, with a little more hair and a little less weight. Hermione couldn't resist showing off as she already knew the potion being taught today. She stopped herself from answering all of Slughorns questions first, remembering she was supposedly the quiet Jane not brainy Hermione. She was still the one to finish it first, achieving the exact shade of reddish brown required. She reached out to tie back her hair, which usually got bushy by this stage and then realized she now had perfect blond hair.

She sat back and looked around. Sirius and James were bewitching some kind of bird to fly at some Slytherin at the back of the class. Lily, Remus and Peter were concentrating on getting their potion right. She gazed at Remus now, the second person she knew from the future, trying to see how he was similar or different. His hair was sandy brown, no shades of grey, but the worry and tension was already there in his face. He looked younger, happier, but still anxious. She saw him glance distastefully at Sirius and James activities occasionally.

"Well, well, well!" A voice boomed above her and she jumped. She turned to see Slughorn standing before her, smiling a very pleased smile.

"Our new girl is the first to finish the portion! And how perfect too!" He sniffed the fumes rising out of the cauldron delicately. He nodded approvingly.

"They must teach you something good in Ireland! To beat Lily and Severus on the first day...are you by any chance the great Potioneer Joseph Dowell's relative?"

This was all strikingly familiar and embarrassing for Hermione.

"Why did I have to show off?" She thought desperately, not wanting so many people to take note of her. But she couldn't help feeling happy, all the same.

"Er- no."

"Oh well, never mind." he surveyed her. "You must have had a good Potions teacher in your old school. And natural talent, of course. You must tell me where you learnt it all from."

He turned to Lily, who was almost done with her potion. "Bring her along for a meeting, Lily."

He wobbled along, to the Slytherin side of the class.

Hermione heard the whispers going around class. She realized she had once again been extended an invitation to join the Slug Club. Lily, who had just finished her potion, turned to her and smiled. " That was great!" She saw how embarrassed Hermione was looking and said "Don't worry about it- Slughorn organizes these get-togethers for some of his favourite students, and they're usually fun."

Another girl who had been sitting next to Hermione had overheard the conversation. She whispered to her" Severus might hate you though. He usually doesn't like being beaten. Even by Lily, and she's his best friend."

She should have been prepared for this. There, sitting at the back of the class, feverishly stirring his potion and not seeming to notice Sirius and James attempt to distract him, was Severus Snape.

"I know." Said the girl, seeing Hermione's expression. "Creepy, isn't he?"

The bell rang at that precise moment and Hermione jumped up, grabbing her books and things, vanishing her potion in one second, and rushed out to her next class. She knew it was Transfiguration and she knew the classroom. She had to get out. Every second she seemed to meet dead people, back from their death, their sad stories flashing in her mind. As she ran, she remembered Snape's story. Lonely, abused, and desperately in love with Lily. She knew the life in front of him and she knew this was one more person in her list of People To Avoid Like The Plague.

***

A/N - Something I'd like to make clear- the Battle Hermione mentions here is not the one that took place at the end of Order of the Phoenix. It is another one, which takes place during the 6th or 7th year, and is placed in The Ministry for convenience. Also, I imagine this will be the Final Battle


End file.
